Politics – Page 3 – Aleph Melbourne

Candidate statement: Sam Hibbins – Greens for Prahran

The following political statement has been supplied by Sam Hibbins who is running as a candidate for Prahran District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a candidate statement to Aleph Melbourne and thank you for the work you do to support our Jewish LGBTIQA+ community.

Myself and the Victorian Greens are a party who stands with LGBTIQA+ Victorians. And while we’ve come a long way, there’s still more work to be done. The Green are committed to continuing to fight to ensure that all Victorian’s are able to live a happy, healthy and equal life, free from discrimination and prejudice.

The LGBTIQA+ communities in Victoria are strong and resilient, but we also know of the disparities in the mental health and wellbeing of the LGBTIQA+ community when compared to the general population.

There’s still members of the LGBTIQA+ communities who face discrimination, prejudice, violence, isolation, stigma and exclusion and this causes harm and affect people’s health and well being in a profound way.

Myself and the Greens are committed to continuing to address these harms and to fighting for a more just and inclusive future.

The Victorian Greens have launched our Rainbow State Action Plan.

https://greens.org.au/vic/rainbowstateplan

This plan includes two key elements. The first is further changes to our laws, we need to continue to strengthen our equal opportunity laws, we must expand anti-vilification laws and make vilification and public harassment a crime to better protect LGBTIQA+ people and support victims of hate crimes.

We need to look at a ban of deferrable medical interventions on intersex children and continue to work with the LGBTIQA+ community to identify further areas of reform, including adoption, assisted reproductive treatment and surrogacy, to make sure that our laws protect everyone.

The second element is a Rainbow State Fund of $200 million over the next term for community-controlled LGBTIQA+ organisations, with a focus on key areas of need such as mental health, youth services, homelessness and sexual health.

We’ve heard that LGBTIQA+ community organisations are tired of the funding uncertainty, or the constant under funding.

And we know the need and demand in communities for dedicated services is high. These services are best delivered by community, for community.

We’d also specifically fund:

An additional clinical services for trans, gender diverse and non-binary Victorians
An accommodation facility, with associated support and health services, for trans, gender diverse and non-binary people
Social, psychological and peer support for intersex people and their families
Establishing an LGBTIQA+ Community Hub with family services, youth facilities, events, and co-located health services
Support services for survivors of conversion practices
Ongoing funding for pride events and festivals around the state

Everyone should feel safe from discrimination and be able to access support and services that meet their needs.

To Aleph members and LGBTIQA+ communities across Victoria, the Greens stand with you.

We see you. We hear you. And we’re fighting for you in the state parliament, so that Victoria truly becomes the rainbow state.

Sam Hibbins MP

Member for Prahran
Victorian Greens spokesperson for LGBTIQA+ Equality

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Candidate statement: Nomi Kaltmann – Independent for Caulfield

The following political statement has been supplied by Nomi Kaltmann who is running as a candidate for Caulfield District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your email asking for a candidate statement on LGBQTI+ inclusion.

All persons should be free to live free from persecution and vilification, irrespective of their sexuality, cultural background or religion.

In general, I believe that there are certain principles that should be adhered to when considering legislation, so that it takes into account the needs of LGBQTI+ persons:

People in the LGBTIQA+ community come from all backgrounds and walks of life, so policy should be diverse in reflecting that
Allies of the LGBQTI+ community should ask for direct input from members of the LGBQTI+ community when considering legislative changes and policies
Every person in Victoria and in wider Australia deserves to live without fear of discrimination, and should be able to live without fear relating to their gender or sexual identity
Specific protections should be considered in a legislative framework that provide a strengthened response to higher rates of discrimination that members of the LGBQTI+ community face

I wish you continued success with your important work at Aleph.

Kind regards

Nomi Kaltmann

Candidate statement: Jessamine Moffett – Greens for Clarinda

The following political statement has been supplied by Jessamine Moffett who is running as a candidate for Clarinda District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

LGBTIQA+ equality is an issue incredibly close to my heart because not only am I a member of the community but many of my closest friends are. The LGBTIQA+ community deserves to be seen and respected.

No matter our sexuality or gender identity we should all feel safe from discrimination and be able to access support and services that meet our needs. With more Greens in Parliament we’ll push for comprehensive changes to make this a reality.

The Greens are committed to putting $200 million into a Rainbow State Fund as well as establishing an ‘Equality Bill’.

This fund will support initiatives such as:

Funding for community controlled LGBTIQA+ services in key areas of need such as mental health, multicultural and youth services, homelessness and sexual health
Establishing an accommodation facility, with associated support and health services, for trans, gender diverse and non-binary people
Establishing an LGBTIQA+ Community Hub with family services, youth facilities, events, and co-located health services
Investing in additional clinical services for trans, gender diverse and non-binary Victorians
Ongoing funding for pride events and festivals around the state
Social, psychological and peer support for intersex people and their families
Support services for survivors of conversion practices

You can find out more about the Rainbow State Plan at the link below:
https://greens.org.au/vic/rainbowstateplan

I’m completely open to answering any questions or having conversations people may want to have and my inbox is always open. You can find me at the links below:
https://greens.org.au/vic/person/jessamine-moffett
https://www.instagram.com/jessaminemoffettgreens
https://www.facebook.com/JessamineMoffettGreens

Candidate statement: Cassandra Westwood – Animal Justice Party for Albert Park

The following political statement has been supplied by Cassandra Westwood who is running as a candidate for Albert Park District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

I believe that everyone should feel safe and included in our society, regardless of gender or sexual identity. I am a proponent of LGBTQIA+ organisations and admire the work that Aleph Melbourne does to support the community.

Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick, who is currently elected in the Western Victoria region, has been working to create more LGBTQIA+ safe spaces in Victoria. If elected, I will campaign for more safe spaces in the Albert Park district. I would be honoured to provide a voice to the LGBTQIA+ community in Parliament.

The Animal Justice Party’s policies are as follows:

Gender and sexuality equality is a fundamental human right and that the health, safety and wellbeing of women, girls and gender-diverse people is paramount.
Reforms are essential to address the causes of gender and sexuality inequality and to protect people against gender and sexuality based violence.
Women and gender-diverse people must be supported, encouraged and empowered to be present and/or prominent in all areas of society, including politics.
Everyone must be supported in informed decision-making with respect to gender and sexual identity;
There must be zero tolerance of sexism, homophobia, queerphobia, transphobia, misogyny and all types of violence (including gender and sexuality based violence) and we must work toward gender and sexuality equality and respect in all areas of society.
Gender-inclusive language should be used.

Caulfield Great Debate: Religious Discrimination

Audio extract from the November 3 2022 Caulfield Great Debate candidates forum, where the candidates discuss the proposed Liberal Party legislation to water down anti-discrimination legislation and how this may adversely impact LGBTIQ+ people.

Speakers: David Southwick MP (Liberal), Lior Harel (ALP), Nomi Kaltmann (independent), Rachel Iampolski (Greens), Julie Szego (moderator)

Victorian Liberal MP Gives Personal ‘Iron-Clad’ Guarantee To Protect LGBT Community From Discrimination | Star Observer

Michael Barnett, co-convenor of Aleph Melbourne welcomed Southwick’s “personal guarantee to look after the best interests of LGBTIQ+ people” but added that the organisation had concerns with the party’s policies.
“I am concerned that the Liberal Party as a whole does not share his strong support for our wellbeing. One just has to look at the untold damage they did to trans people by running an anti-trans candidate like Katherine Deves in NSW in the recent Federal election,” Barnett told Star Observer.
“I am also confounded as to what actual problem the Liberal Party feels it needs to introduce this legislation for. To my thinking they have fabricated a hypothetical scenario and are jumping in to save the day as the good guys. It’s the stuff of comic books, but it’s not funny,” added Barnett.

Victorian Liberal MP Gives Personal ‘Iron-Clad’ Guarantee To Protect LGBTCommunity From Discrimination

Candidate statement: Alice Le Huray – Animal Justice Party for Prahran

The following political statement has been supplied by Alice Le Huray who is running as a candidate for Prahran District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

Kindness, equality, rationality, and non-violence are the core values of the Animal Justice Party.

The AJP has a proud history of supporting progressive human causes, and myself a candidate for Prahran am committed to:

Building an inclusive society with strong awareness of historical, systemic, and institutional privilege, disadvantage, and inequality

Advancing equality of opportunity for all in educational, work, recreational, housing, and administrative settings, and restitution measures for those affected by historical injustices

Protecting the human, political and socio-economic rights of all individuals

Prohibiting direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, vilification, and/or victimisation of anyone on the basis of any of the above attributes

Our current MP, Andy Meddick has been working tirelessly in parliament to create more LGBTQIA+ safe spaces in Victoria, particularly for the youth community in areas like Geelong and Ballarat.

Personally, I’m proud to be a part of St Kilda – home to the Victorian Pride Centre; the first of its kind in Australia. I strongly support LGBTQIA+ organisations and communities and encourage more safe and accessible places to support and celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Candidate statement: Sarah Dekiere – Greens for Brighton

The following political statement has been supplied by Sarah Dekiere who is running as a candidate for Brighton District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

I believe that we should all feel safe and have equal opportunities in life, no matter our sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+) people continue to face discrimination across multiple areas of their lives. We need to improve our laws so that no one faces discrimination or harm because of their sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics. We need to properly fund LGBTIQA+ led organisations so that people can access quality services that truly meet their needs.

Despite some positive changes, there are still too many gaps in Victoria’s laws which allow discrimination against LGBTIQA+ people to continue. This Discrimination causes harm and its impacts can be deep and damaging.

Our Plan

The Greens plan includes:

An ‘Equality Bill’ for Victoria

The Greens will introduce comprehensive legislation that will:

Strengthen the Equal Opportunity Act to prevent all faith-based schools and organisations from discriminating against LGBTIQA+ students, staff and services users.
Give the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission stronger powers, including stronger investigatory powers and enforceable determinations
Expand anti-vilification laws to protect LGBTIQA+ people and support victims of hate crimes, including by making vilification and public harassment a crime and legislating to make violence motivated by hate a specific criminal offence
Ban deferrable medical interventions on children with intersex characteristics and restrict all sex characteristic altering medical treatment on intersex people without personal consent or oversite from an independent expert panel
Protect the important work of the LGBTIQ+ Communities Commissioner and the LGBTIQ+ Taskforce by enshrining them in legislation

We will also continue to work with the LGBTIQA+ community to identify further areas of reform, including adoption, assisted reproductive treatment and surrogacy, to make sure that our laws protect everyone.

A $200 Million ‘Rainbow State Fund’ for LGBTIQA+ community-led organisations:

This fund will support initiatives such as:

Funding for community controlled LGBTIQA+ services in key areas of need such as mental health, youth services, homelessness and sexual health
Establishing an accommodation facility, with associated support and health services, for trans, gender diverse and non-binary people
Establishing an LGBTIQA+ Community Hub with family services, youth facilities, events, and co-located health services
Investing in additional clinical services for trans, gender diverse and non-binary Victorians
Ongoing funding for pride events and festivals around the state
Social, psychological and peer support for intersex people and their families
Support services for survivors of conversion practices

Candidate statement: Dr Hsiang-Han Hsieh – Greens for Oakleigh

The following political statement has been supplied by Dr Hsiang-Han Hsieh who is running as a candidate for Oakleigh District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

My name is Hsiang (pronouns he/him), and I am the Greens candidate for the Oakleigh district.

I am proud gay/queer person of color, working as a doctor in mental health, and living with my partner in Oakleigh.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+) people continue to face discrimination across multiple areas of our lives. As a result, our community is disproportionately affected with poor health, mental health, and social wellbeing.

The Greens have always championed the rights of LGBTIQA+ people, even before any other party did. The Greens plan includes:

An “Equality Bill” for Victoria, which strengthens the Equal Opportunity Act, strengthens the powers of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, expands anti-vilification laws, and more.
A $200 million “Rainbow State Fund” for LGBTIQA+ community-led organisations, which will support initiatives and services such as housing, healthcare, and celebratory events.
Continuing work with the LGBTIQA+ community to identify further areas of reform, including adoption, assisted reproductive treatment and surrogacy, to make sure that our laws protect everyone.

Our laws should protect all LGBTIQA+ people from discrimation and harm, across all areas of our lives. We should all feel safe and have equal opportunities in life, no matter our sexuality, gender identity or sex characteristics.

Please refer to our policy announcement here: Greater protections for LGBTIQA+ communities under Greens plan | Australian Greens Victoria

And here’s the Greens’ wider policy regarding LGBTQIA+ issues: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Policy | Australian Greens Victoria

Candidate statement: David Southwick – Liberal for Caulfield

The following political statement has been supplied by David Southwick who is running as a candidate for Caulfield District in the 2022 Victorian State Government election.

Aleph Melbourne will endorse all political candidates who unconditionally support equal rights for LGBTIQ+ Jews and whose values align with ours.

2 November 2022
Mr. Michael Barnett
Co-Convenor
Aleph Melbourne
Via email: michael@aleph.org.au

Dear Michael,

Leading into the state election this November, I wanted to reach out to you and affirm my support for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Over the years, I’ve been pleased to join you and members of Aleph at Midsumma and show allyship with a community that gives so much to our state. Our diversity – whether it be diversity of sexuality, religion, race, ethnicity, or gender identity – is our strength. Supporting all people, no matter where on the spectrums of sexuality and gender identity they may sit, is a fundamental part of what I believe in.

Recently, the Victorian Liberals supported the Andrews Government in passing laws to outlaw Gay Conversion Therapy. There is no place in Victoria for such barbaric practices and changing these laws ensured that.

The Liberals will protect religious freedoms to allow Jewish schools to employ people who are aligned with their values. These laws will not grant schools any power to terminate staff based on values and no existing staff would be impacted by the changes. Just as importantly, an individual’s sexuality, gender identity and ethnicity would also be equally protected from discrimination and unfair dismissal under these laws. Any proposed changes would only occur after extensive community consultation (including with Aleph) and would need to protect every single Victorian from discrimination.

I want to give you my iron-clad guarantee that any amendment to the Equal Opportunity Act will protect our LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination. As Liberals, our belief in equality is non-negotiable.

In 1981, it was a Hamer Liberal Government that decriminalised homosexual activity. In 2014, I was proud to be part of a Government that took the historic step to expunge these archaic convictions from the record. In 2017, as the Turnbull Government delivered gay marriage, I watched with pride as my former colleague Tim Wilson proposed to his now-husband Ryan on the floor of Parliament. A year later, a Federal Liberal Government put PrEP on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for the very first time.

A future Victorian Liberal Government will deliver a dedicated professional legal support service for the LGBTQIA+ community, which will be based at the Pride Centre. We will also invest $1 million over 4 years into Joy 94.9, so they can continue to bring the community together.

I look forward to continuing working with Aleph to determine where funding, support and advocacy can be most impactful.

After the 26th of November, I hope to stand with you as part of a Victorian Liberal Government that supports, respects and protects every community and every Victorian. We will always defend equality.

Yours sincerely,

David Southwick
Member for Caulfield
Deputy Victorian Liberal Leader

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